A router is a foundational networking device that forwards data traffic between separate computer networks. For home and small office users, its core job is to sit between your modem and your devices, managing and directing traffic between your private local network and the public internet.

This is the base device that all other router variants are built upon. Critically, a router does not inherently include Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is an optional additional feature that is added to create a wireless router, a distinction that is almost universally misunderstood in popular usage.

All wireless routers, dual band routers, mesh nodes and modem routers are still routers at their core. Additional core functions include assigning local IP addresses to your devices, managing traffic to avoid congestion, and providing the default firewall that protects your network from unsolicited incoming traffic from the internet.

Common uses: Creating a local network, sharing a single internet connection between multiple devices, network security, routing traffic between networks

Related terms: Wireless Router, Dual Band Router, Tri-Band Router, Mesh Router, Modem Router, Modem, Gateway, Firewall, IP Address, NAT

Related Entries

• Modem Router
• RouterBoard
• Mesh Router
• Wireless Router
• Dual Band Router